Stephen C. Stearns
Encyclopedia
Stephen C. Stearns is an American biologist, the Edward P. Bass Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Yale University
. He is known for his work in life history theory
.
in 1967 and went on to graduate school at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he earned a masters degree, and the University of British Columbia
, where he did his PhD. Before joining the Yale faculty in 2000, he served as Professor of Zoology and Director of the Zoology Institute at the University of Basel
. At Yale he chaired the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from 2002 to 2005.
Stearns helped to found: the European Society of Evolutionary Biology in 1987. He later served on its Council and as its President. He also founded the Journal of Evolutionary Biology
, served as its first managing editor from 1986 to 1991, and later served on its Editorial Board. Together with Tim Clutton-Brock, he founded the Tropical Biology Association in 1991.
A book Stearns wrote with his wife Beverly Peterson Stearns, Watching, from the Edge of Extinction, was the 2000 winner of the Clarion Award from the Association for Women in Communications. The book features interviews from people working to save endangered species
from extinction
.
In 2011, Yale University gave Stearns their DeVane Medal for distinction in undergraduate teaching.
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. He is known for his work in life history theory
Life history theory
Life history theory posits that the schedule and duration of key events in an organism's lifetime are shaped by natural selection to produce the largest possible number of surviving offspring...
.
Education and training
Stearns graduated from Yale UniversityYale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1967 and went on to graduate school at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, where he earned a masters degree, and the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
, where he did his PhD. Before joining the Yale faculty in 2000, he served as Professor of Zoology and Director of the Zoology Institute at the University of Basel
University of Basel
The University of Basel is located in Basel, Switzerland, and is considered to be one of leading universities in the country...
. At Yale he chaired the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from 2002 to 2005.
Stearns helped to found: the European Society of Evolutionary Biology in 1987. He later served on its Council and as its President. He also founded the Journal of Evolutionary Biology
Journal of Evolutionary Biology
The Journal of Evolutionary Biology is a scientific journal in the field of evolutionary biology, published by Blackwell Publishing on behalf of the European Society for Evolutionary Biology. Delayed open access is available 2 years after publication. The founding editor was Stephen C. Stearns.-...
, served as its first managing editor from 1986 to 1991, and later served on its Editorial Board. Together with Tim Clutton-Brock, he founded the Tropical Biology Association in 1991.
Awards and honors
Since 2005 Stearns has been an Honorary Member of the Swiss Zoological Society. He is also a Fellow of the European Society for Evolutionary Biology since 2007.A book Stearns wrote with his wife Beverly Peterson Stearns, Watching, from the Edge of Extinction, was the 2000 winner of the Clarion Award from the Association for Women in Communications. The book features interviews from people working to save endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
from extinction
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
.
In 2011, Yale University gave Stearns their DeVane Medal for distinction in undergraduate teaching.
External links
- Stearns' web site at Yale University
- Stearns' introductory course Principles of Evolution, Ecology and Behavior at Open Yale CoursesOpen Yale CoursesOpen Yale Courses is a project of Yale University to share full video and course materials from its undergraduate courses.Open Yale Courses provides free access to a selection of introductory courses....